Through the Bible: 1 KingsUzorak

Who Do You Follow?

So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 

1 Kings 18:20-21 (ESV)

Ever since Israel was split, the Northern Kingdom went in a spiritual downward spiral.  One king after another led the people astray from the Lord, who once appeared to their ancestors on Mount Sinai and declared, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2-3)  

Despite warnings were given through multiple prophets and natural disasters involving three years of drought, there was no mention of repentance back to first love.

In today’s scripture, it seems the issue was not a matter of forgetting the Lord altogether but the refusal of wholehearted devotion.  The people were “limping between two different opinions” and refused to indicate their choice when challenged by Elijah.  They probably wanted to keep both.

Today, have we allowed ourselves to limp between choosing Jesus and the world or between God’s way and our own ways?  

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Thank You for giving us abundant lives in You. Ignite in us the courage and conviction to follow You through wholeheartedly. In Your name, we pray, Amen.